“He hurt me.”
The room fell silent, every eye fixed on the small girl and her brave confession. Judge Dawson leaned forward, her expression softening. “Isla, can you tell us more about what happened?”
Isla hesitated for a moment, her tiny fingers still entwined in Moose’s fur. “He was always angry. He yelled, and sometimes…he’d lock me in the dark.” Her voice wavered, but with Moose beside her, she continued. “He said no one would believe me. But Moose always barked when he came close.”
